Tiger Treasures rummage sale to benefit local charities

COLUMBIA — In an effort to divert tens of thousands of pounds of material from landfills while benefiting local charities, an estimated 20 tons of unwanted items were donated by MU students to be sold in the Tiger Treasures rummage sale Saturday.

The money raised will benefit the Salvation Army and University YMCA. The organizations were chosen based on their interest in receiving funds as well as their mutual willingness to send volunteers to the event, MU Sustainability Coordinator Steve Burdic said. The profits from the rummage sale will be divided between the two organizations based on the number of volunteer hours each group provides.

The money given to the Salvation Army will allow the organization to provide basic needs such asfood, clothing and shelter to people in the community who are in dire need, Salvation Army representative Cyndy Chapman said. The Salvation Army Harbor House is the only shelter in the area that has accommodations for mothers, fathers and children to stay together, Chapman said. Its 67 beds provide a place for people to live while on the road to self-sufficiency.

This is the first year for University YMCA, an MU student organization founded in 1890, to participate in Tiger Treasures. "It is a pretty amazing experience to be able to give back to the university," Julie Alexander of University YMCA said.

The organization plans to use the proceeds to advance its presence working with youth, tutoring young students and working with children living in Columbia's First Ward, Alexander said.

Early bird shoppers will be charged a $5 entrance fee at 6 a.m. Saturday; otherwise the event is free to the public from 7 to 11 a.m. at Memorial Stadium.